Clinical trials give treatment options for rare cancer patients

For me, the reason is simple: I have a rare type of bone cancer called chondrosarcoma and surgery -- the usual treatment for someone like me -- is no longer a viable option.

Cutting out one malignant tumor agitates the many benign tumors close by and they become malignant. Chemo and radiation aren't treatment options either, since neither one is effective in stopping or even slowing down my cancer.

When I first visited MD Anderson last year for an evaluation about treatment options, participating in clinical drug trials were among the first things my doctors and I discussed.

A helpful guide Enrolling in a trial isn't a decision to be taken lightly. Like any other treatment option, it's something you need to discuss thoroughly with your health care team, family and friends, and anyone who is a part of your care and support system.

MD Anderson offers a handy guide listing the questions you should ask and treatment factors you should consider. Speaking as someone who has "been there, done that" I highly recommend reading this guide.

The process for enrolling in a trial is somewhat like a job interview.
Your background, or in this case your medical history, type of cancer
and previous treatments are all taken into consideration.

The
likelihood that the clinical trial will help you is evaluated, along
with whether or not you're healthy enough to participate. Approval from
your insurance company is also needed.

Once you've been approved
for the clinical trial, you'll receive an initial set of MRI and CT
scans, along with X-rays and blood work. These tests will become the
baseline for the trial. All subsequent scans will be compared with the
first set to evaluate the drug's effectiveness.

How often you
return to MD Anderson for scans and drug refills will depend on the protocol or conditions specified by the drug company conducting the
trial.

The clinical nurse on your trial will quickly become
your new best friend and will be able to answer many of your questions
about what you can expect in terms of reactions to and side effects from
the trial drug.

Change can be goodIt's likely that you will change to a different drug trial at some point. The drug may not be effective or the side effects from the drug may be too much for your system to handle.

In
my case, the drug company conducting the trial suspended it when it
determined there wasn't any difference in response between people who
were on the placebo and those who were on the actual drug. This news was
doubly frustrating for me since I'd been on the placebo for the first
four months and then switched to the actual drug for the next five
months.

At first, all the fears that every cancer patient knows
about came rushing back, ready to sit beside me and feed on my anxiety
and uncertainty. Then it dawned on me: there wasn't any reason to
continue taking medicine that wasn't helping me. There were other
clinical trials out there that I could qualify for.

This trial
wasn't the only one and it didn't represent my only chance against
cancer. All I needed to do was change clinical drug trials. So I did.
And that sent the fears away.

The set of scans and X-rays this
month will be my baseline for the new trial. I've already spoken with
the clinical nurse about the new protocol and treatment regimen. New toolsAfter
the test this month, I'll start on the new drug right away. If this
drug doesn't work, there are other trials coming up. Think about it. If
you're working on something and the tool you need wears out, you don't
stop working. You get a replacement and keep going.

That's what
a new clinical trial represents: a new tool so you can keep on working;
so you can keep fighting the cancer; so you can keep living.

The
idea isn't to turn you into a guinea pig or a medical experiment, or
make your ordeal worse by adding nasty side effects or foregoing your
pain medications. It's to give you another treatment option to consider
when deciding what course of treatment will work best for you.

Isn't
that why we're here -- to have the best options available for treating
our cancer and taking our life back? Speaking for myself, it's an option
I'm glad to have. Maybe it's an option for you.